


Safety

by chromaticfires



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 07:11:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16321541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chromaticfires/pseuds/chromaticfires
Summary: Herah Adaar never thought she'd find true safety, much less find it in a person. Sera never thought she'd get attached, but when she meets a tall woman with a glowing hand and sharp horns, she just can't seem to help herself.Follows the storyline of DA:I relatively closely in terms of main events, but has a few extra/alternate events thrown in for funsies.





	Safety

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, it's me, Long Chapters McGee

You're just going to leave these people to fend for themselves when demons are ravaging the countryside?!" Herah yelled at the retreating Lord Seeker, ire rising in her blood. Lucius turned his head to sneer at her.

"Do not speak to me beast." 

"You're a coward." She spat at him, fists balling at her side. Sera watched from above, under cover at the upper level of the market near the docks. She watched the Qunari woman carefully, eyes flicking between her and the Lord Seeker. Lucius drew his blade, stomping closer to her, his men reaching out to hold him back.

"What did you say to me?"

"Oh now you wanna hear what I have to say? I said, you're a fucking coward." Herah hissed, daggers in hand now, and well within striking distance of the git across from her. Ballsy. Sera decided she liked her. Lucius' face twisted with rage. He swung his sword in an arc over his head and the Herald reacted immediately, using the dagger in her offhand to meet his sword and turn it to the right as she spun to the left, slashing at the side of his face with her other dagger, drawing a long red line from just above his ear down to the corner of his mouth before springing back as the templars came to surround him, dragging him back across the cobblestones. Sera watched the one with the short hair, Cassandra, step forward to put herself between the Qunari and the templars, chastising the woman behind her too quietly for Sera to hear at this distance. The templars eyes flicked between the Right Hand of the Divine and their commander before dragging him further back. The one who protested earlier when the Lord Seeker struck the chantry cleric stepped forward.

"We did not intend this bloodshed. We are leaving the city and will not respond with violence unless we are provoked further." His voice was strong, but it was clear he wasn't pleased with the situation. He didn't think any of this was right, Sera could see it in the way his shoulders faced the people and one of his feet seemed to always point toward the crying chantry cleric, as if he wanted to go and help her. Cassandra and the Herald nodded to him and the templars left, dragging their greasy, foaming at the mouth commander with them. Sera chuckled to herself as she nocked the arrow with her message tied to it. She liked these people, plus she wouldn't say no to seeing the Herald up close. She pulled back on her bow string, but paused as the woman in question turned her back to the fleeing lunkheads and went to the cleric who'd been condemning her not that long ago. Sera relaxed the bow and squinted, trying to read her lips as she spoke to the woman. The cleric looked at her suspiciously before nodding and hesitantly accepting a hand up. From what she could tell the horned woman had asked her if she was alright and the two were currently having a quiet conversation, mostly of well wishes from the Herald and reluctant acceptance of those wishes from the cleric until she offered her the protection of the Inquisition for the city since the templars had quit the field. The cleric responded gratefully and Cassandra took over the discussion of coordination. It was now or never. Sera took a deep breath and pulled back, shooting her arrow at the unoccupied ground a few feet away, just as the Herald turned in that direction. She watched Cassandra immediately raise her shield at the sound of the arrow, protecting the cleric, herself, and the dwarf they'd brought with them as the mage cast a barrier around himself and the Herald who'd dropped into a crouch, eyes flicking over the market. Sera flinched in surprise, green eyes so bright and gemlike that they seemed luminescent boring into her own. She had no idea if she actually saw her, but she knew that she could tell where the arrow had come from and that it was high time for her to make an exit, in case they mistook her for a threat. The city elf made her way quickly down from the market, blending into the crowd at the docks before slipping away completely. She hoped they would come later that night.

Herah saw a flicker of movement, a flash of blonde hair and a red shirt, but no more arrows. Cautiously, she turned to the arrow, grasping the shaft and pulling it out from between the cobblestones. She untied the note, reading each line as she unfurled it and Cassandra read along beside her.

"Do you think it's a trap?"

"Probably, but we should go along with it anyways. If someone in Val Royeaux other than the chantry and the templars want us dead, we need to know who."

"You have a knack for finding trouble Herah." Cassandra said, shaking her head. They set off into the city, going about the business of finding these handkerchiefs. Upon finding the last one, Herah wasn't so sure it was a trap anymore, it seemed whoever wrote these and led them to them genuinely wanted to help. 

Later that evening, just after the sun had set, they made their way into the area on the outskirts of the city that the notes had indicated. Guards were smattered in the first courtyard, only three though and they definitely had not been expecting the Herald of Andraste, a Seeker, a dwarf with an intimidating crossbow, and an elf disguised as an egg to burst through the gate. Their defense was sloppy, reckless, and it was barely a minute before they were all slumped on the ground dead. Herah shrugged to Cassandra, if this was a trap it certainly wasn't a great one. She pressed a palm against the gate into the next area, narrowly dodging the fireball sent her way almost as soon as she'd taken a step into the courtyard beyond. The man who had fired it seemed to be some sort of self important minor noble who prattle on for a minute or two before an elf with the same blonde hair and red shirt that Herah had glimpsed earlier that day killed his guard and him with a couple of well placed arrows.

"Rich tits always try for more than they deserve." She said as she walked over to Herah, practically doing a double take when she got closer. Herah was head and shoulders taller than her, and as she looked down at the elven woman she watched her mouth open and close for a minute. Sera's eyes traced the scars on her face, following the one that ran across her lips, down to one on her neck that ran down from her chin until it disappeared under her armor, flicking over the armor itself, noting the way her leather coat draped over her shoulders and concealed the clasps of her breastplate. Herah couldn't tell if she was assessing her defense or checking her out, she wasn't sure she'd mind if the latter was the case though.

"You are well fit." She cleared her throat, and after a few minutes of conversation she introduced herself as Sera, and before she knew it Herah was back in Haven later that evening, walking into the tavern and finding herself once again face to face with her. The elf was leaning against the wall, quietly sipping at her beer, staring at the fire in the hearth. Around her, Herah could hear people whispering about the elf she'd brought into the Inquisition and how everyone thought she was a joke. Dark lips curled into a frown as she made her way to the bar, getting a beer of her own and made her way over to her, lightly bumping her with a shoulder.

"Copper for your thoughts?" Sera looked up at her as she spoke, giving her a little smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Not havin' any worth talkin' 'bout right now. What about you Lady Herald? You look like you have somethin' on your mind." Herah felt her lips twitch in a lopsided smile.

"Well, I was going to ask you to come with me on a mission in the Hinterlands tomorrow but if you don't wanna talk I'll leave you be." She said, raising her mug to her lips, taking a swig of her beer as she made her way to the door. She had hardly made it a step when Sera was at her elbow.

"The Hinterlands? What're you doing there?" She asked curiously, following her out of the tavern.

"Well, I have some supplies to deliver to the town at the crossroads, then Cassandra, Solas and myself were going to see about some missing scouts." She pauses to take a sip of her beer. "There may or may not be a dragon involved so I'd understand if you don't want to come, fighting a dragon is a lot to ask-" She was interrupted by Sera practically bouncing in front of her.

"Serious? A dragon? Count me in, when are we going? Where are we meeting?" The elf was suddenly much more vibrant than she had been in the tavern, and it made Herah smile more fully.

"We're going to meet at the camp on the outskirts at around ten in the morning, go through the crossroads to drop off the supplies, then go up the road towards Redcliffe to meet with a scout. Do you need me to mark the location of the camp on a map for you? You just joined so I don't expect you'd have an updated map with all the camps yet."

"Nah, it's all good. Got a Red Jenny in the area, it's already marked for me."

"Are your friends worried about the Inquisition causing trouble?" 

"Not really? More like just curious. Though if you all turned out to be right tits they'd've stepped in." She said with a shrug, realizing they'd idly wandered a good distance away from the tavern. They had started going around past the path that led to the apothecary's place and now they were a bit past the chantry. There had been no purpose to Herah's step as they walked, and it seemed they were just meandering through the town. "I take it you don't like hanging out in the tavern, got somethin' against drunks?"

Herah shook her head. "No, I've got something against people who treat others like furniture to be critiqued. Every time I'm there it's 'Lady Herald' this and 'Qunari' that. They whisper about how I can't possibly have been sent by Andraste because I'm not human. A lot of them would probably shiv me given half a chance and an empty room. Usually I just go in, grab a beer, and go. I've been insulted all my life about my horns and my skin and my height, but it's usually a quick outburst then it's done. In there though I feel like... I feel like a lizard or something in a glass cage. All eyes are on me, and none are friendly. I'm a curiosity at best, a threat at worst." She took another swig of her beer, the cold feeling of it sliding down her throat and the semisweet taste helping her stay in the present.

"I think all those things make you... I dunno, handsome I guess. Pretty is too... Too posh. Like Orlesians. You're not like an Orlesian. You're tall and you seem nice, honest too. It doesn't hurt that you've got a nice arse and-" She looks down, noticing her nearly empty beer. A beer that had been her third in the last hour. "And I may be a bit drunk. I uh, I'm gonna just uh, I'm gonna go. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, running off with the tips of her ears lit up like an eavesdropping chantry sister's cheeks. Herah watched her go, only able to offer a weak call of good night after her, her cheeks and ears covered in a dark blush.

 

The next day, after they'd met up in camp, Herah briefed Sera on the situation with the missing scouts as they walked down from the camp to the settlement at the crossroads. Scout Harding and four others had gone missing a day or so ago, around the same time the villagers at the crossroads had started mentioning a dragon that had taken up residence somewhere near the east road.

As they reached the settlement at the crossroads they split up, Cassandra going to check in with a local lieutenant about the state of affairs in the region, Solas splitting off to the empty healer's hut to help where he could, Herah went immediately for a hut where a man was fretting over his sick wife and Sera found the Jenny who'd been monitoring the region. His name was Jereth, he was the son of a farmer in the area and he had a lot to say about the Inquisition.

"When they came to town it was chaos. The mages and templars were fighting like rabid dogs and then that Qunari and the scary lady and the dwarf and Mr. Solas showed up and gave them a taste of their own medicine, driving them out of town like it was nothing." As she listened to the boy, Sera felt herself frown when he said 'that Qunari', Herah's words from last night echoing in her head. The boy plowed on obliviously. "Once they drove those arse wipes outta town they helped Mother Giselle and were goin' around asking how they could help. Honestly I didn't think they'd come back. I was planning to hide eggs in their camp or somethin' for gettin' people's hopes up. Anyways, what're you doing here? Saw you walk in with them, did you join up or did you just run into them on the road?"

"Believe it or not I joined. Saw them in Val Royeaux, had a tip from a friend that could help them, next thing you know I'm havin' a beer with the Herald herself."

"Lucky you, we don't hear much about the Herald all the way out here. I imagine she's pretty though." Jereth looked off obliviously as he spoke, likely imagining some human woman as the Herald. Ironically, he looked right past Herah who had just finished giving a map to a lieutenant and was biding her time by talking to a farmer. She watched as the farmer motioned to the broken fence behind him and the two spoke for a minute longer before he walked away and she pulled off her coat and breastplate, throwing them over a fence post a bit away from the broken bit of stone fencing. Sera watched with interest as the farmer came back with a bucket and a bladed too that looked like a flattened trowel. Herah knelt in the mud next to the farmer, picking up the stones that had been knocked from the fence originally and laying them back into place among layers of what appeared to be mortar, rebuilding the fence alongside the farmer. She mimicked the way he spread the mortar easily enough, placing the stones quickly and working in time with him. The farmer was an older man, and he seemed grateful for the help, smiling and having a quiet conversation with her while they worked. It seemed he was telling her a good story at the moment with the way she watched him and how easily she smiled. "What do you think the Herald looks like? Think she's a human or do you think she's an elf like the Hero of Ferelden?"

"Neither you tit, she's right over there." Sera said, gesturing to Herah where she knelt by the farmer.

"She's a dwarf then? I don't see her."

"Ugh, no you arse, she's a Qunari. Y'know, seven feet tall, silver skin, horns? The one by the farmer at the fence?"

Jereth wrinkled his nose. "The ox? No way. Andraste wouldn't choose one of them."

"Why not? Andraste can choose whoever she wants." She said defensively, irritation rising rapidly in her voice and heart.

"Well... 'cause. They're not right. They're little better than beasts. They're too big and they're always angry, not to mention stupid."

Sera grit her teeth, promptly rounding on him. "If she's little better than a beast, that would make you worse than muck you cretin; and for the record? I think she's fucking great and a helluva a lot handsomer than you."

"But I-" She didn't let him finish, storming off in a huff. Her feet took her to stand beside Herah, staring Jereth down from a distance as his cheeks reddened, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he turned and skulked off in shame. The farmer looked between her and Herah, then over his shoulder at the retreating young man. Herah herself cast a glance at her, face carefully neutral but eyes full of concern, but she didn't ask. Probably for the best, Sera was a little too irritated to talk about it. She couldn't believe what an ass he'd been. Herah and the farmer worked side by side in observant silence for a little while, laying the last few stones quickly. When they were done, the farmer turned to the Red Jenny, wiping his hands on his breeches to knock off the drying mortar.

"Jereth means well mostly. He's just... a bit dense. He hasn't seen many elves, not to mention Qunari. I don't know what he said, but the rest of us welcome the Herald and all she brings with her." He then turned to Herah, offering his hand to shake. "Thank you for your help today, and thank you for helping the village. It means a lot that you'd stop and help us like this. If ever the Inquisition needs help in this neck of the woods, let us know."

Herah reached out and took his hand, giving it a firm but warm shake. "We will, thank you. Likewise, let our lieutenants know if the village needs more help. Hopefully the way to Redcliffe will be clear by tomorrow so that should help, but the Inquisition will do all it can to aid the refugees and villagers here."

The farmer nodded before returning to his field, leaving Herah and Sera alone.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" She asked, eying Sera carefully. Her posture was tense, her brow knit tight with irritation and her lips curled in a frown, and it made Herah very curious about what the boy had said to earn genuine ire from her.

"No. Stupid git. Stupid opinions. Arsehole. Might give him a jar of bees later, at high speed." She grumbled, crossing her arms and glaring across the village. Herah picked up her breast plate and began strapping it on again, the glinting of the sun off the metal catching Sera's eye. She watched her strap it on over her leather vest, sliding her coat on after that. "Aren't you hot under that?"

"Not really, cotton shirts do wonders for these things. Aren't you cold? We have armor back at camp you know."

"Pff, flashy armor is only good for flashy tits who want to be seen. I'm not the up close and personal type when it comes to fighting, it's better if they don't notice me, know what I mean?"

Herah shrugged. "I suppose I do, but what will you do if they do notice you? You can't run or hide here like you can in the city."

"I'll stand behind Cassandra. Anyways are we ready to go? I don't want to stick around any longer than we have to."

"Fair enough. Let's get the others, hopefully the scouts just got lost and we'll find them on the way."

 

The scouts had not, in fact, just gotten lost. They met a scout from a different squad that confirmed the dragon had taken them, they'd found scattered bits of scout armor in a straight line pointing to where they'd seen the dragon coming and going from, and that the dragon's lair was unfortunately through a canyon full of bandits. Cassandra and Herah led the charge into the canyon, Sera and Solas laying down cover fire and barriers. The bandits were trained, and both the Seeker and the Herald had a bit of trouble with a couple of them now and again, but the damages weren't so severe a healing potion couldn't knit them back together. They fought their way through their ranks and scattered camps to their main camp, claiming it for their own. Before they'd even finished shuffling through the bandits' stuff for clues as to why they were here, scouts and forward runners poured into the camp, setting it up properly and bringing with them more healing potions and a few tents to start. They rested briefly, just to get some water and come up with a plan. The remaining scouts didn't know exactly where the dragon's lair was in the valley past the camp but they could confirm that the dragon was hanging around the entrance to the valley somewhat regularly, and the scouts delivered the news that it appeared to be a Fereldan Frostback, a highly territorial dragon known for its fiery wrath.

Unfortunately, they didn't get much farther than asking exactly how territorial the dragon was before they heard an earth shaking roar and huge leathery wings thunderously beating the air, followed by a loud, shrieking scream.

"Into the tunnel!" Herah shouted, pointing to an alcove in the tunnel between the canyon and the valley as they saw the dragon take off, making for the camp. People rushed into the tunnel, packing themselves into the alcove. Herah and company moved to the mouth of the tunnel, witnessing one of the missing scouts diving for cover as the dragon launched a fireball at him.

"It's one of the scouts. Cassandra, cover him, Solas cover them, Sera cover Solas and give the rest of us some cover fire when you can."

Herah broke cover as she finished, Cassandra following her without hesitation as Solas twirled his staff, casting a protective barrier over all of them. Sera followed them out, firing arrow after arrow at the dragon. Herah and Cassandra split up, Herah skirting the left side of the spire and Cassandra heading to the right. The dragon roared, distracted from the scout by the new intruders. It changed course, chasing down Herah as Cassandra ran to the charred and shaking scout, pulling him deeper into cover and covering them both with her shield. Herah ran around the basalt pillar, turning on her heel and diving under the dragon's chin as it dove at her with snapping jaws. The dragon's momentum carried it forward into the ground but it recovered quickly. As the dragon's frustration mounted over not being able catch the Herald and being denied the scout Sera realized that she wasn't planning on killing the dragon here, she was harrying it. Annoying it into flying away and showing them where its lair was. Sera began to change her target, shooting her sharp little arrows in places they might stick between scales a bit and irritate it instead of just shooting at its underbelly. The dragon roared again, lighting most of the trees and brush around the tunnel on fire and spotting Solas and Sera. When it came around for its next pass, it wasn't interested in Herah or Cassandra, its eyes were boring into Sera's as its throat began to glow orange. For a moment, everything slowed to a crawl, she felt Solas' hand grab her arm to pull her back, presumably into one of his barriers, and then she saw Herah jump from the rise to the left with the weird skull on a post with her coat in her hands, using it like a rope. Her weight bowled into the side of the dragon's head sent it crashing into the basalt pillar as its balance was thrown off, Herah taking advantage of the situation to throw one end of her coat over the dragon's maw, catching it on the other side and pulling hard, using her abs to bring her legs up and kick her feet up hard against the bottom of its jaw, snapping its maw shut and stifling the jet of flame into a painful burst through its nose. She pulled hard, muscles flexing against her shirt as she tied her coat with three quick knots. The dragon gave a muffled roar as it got to its feet.

"Cassandra go!" The Herald yelled. Cassandra hesitated this time, but only for a second before doing as she was told, running back towards Sera and Solas, practically dragging the scout behind her, ushering them all back and covering them with her shield as the dragon's lashing tail bashed into the column, sending stone spraying towards them. It lashed its head hard, body bucking with the effort to get Herah off, finally succeeding in flinging her into the water at the base of the pillar. Cassandra stepped forward, ready to run out and defend her if she had to, but they all watched as she rolled painfully to her feet, spitting out a mouthful of muddied water and sprinting for the tunnel. Her eyes locked with Solas' eyes and he began twirling his staff, casting a large blue wall across the mouth of the tunnel, a modified barrier to keep the dragon's fire out. There was a ripping sound as the dragon hooked a claw into the coat, tearing it to shreds and casting it aside, a mighty billow of flame leaving its maw. To the relief of all present, Herah managed to slide through the barrier just as the flame reached her, escaping with nothing more than moderately toasted hair. The dragon roared in fury, then turned and flew toward the very back of the valley. Sera looked down at where the Herald rest at her feet, finding her laughing, dragging a hand through her hair and knocking the soot out of it.

"Is everyone ok?" She asked, sitting up. There were nods and generally murmured assent from those assembled in the tunnel and she nodded approvingly. "Good. I think we've annoyed it enough it won't come back, not for now at least. Camp should be safe for now, and we'll deal with the dragon today to make it safer."

The scout and all those huddled in the tunnel filed out and made their way back to the tents, cautiously returning to the work they'd started stripping the area of ores, herbs, and anything the bandits left behind while they waited for more personnel to arrive while the scout they'd just saved was taken for immediate medical attention. Meanwhile, Cassandra stood over Herah like a cross between a mother hen and the world's angriest storm cloud. 

"What was that? Why would you do that? You could've been killed." The Seeker said, handing her a healing potion. Herah took it from her gratefully, arm hitching a little and mouth pressing tight as she reached for it. She wasted no time in drinking it, grateful for the relief it brought.

"If it's got a mouth it can usually be muzzled. What else was I supposed to do? Let Sera and Solas get toasted? You saw his face, Solas wouldn't have been able to get the barrier up in time. Besides, you needed an opportunity to get the scout out of there anyways."

"Yes but there were other ways to do it. The dragon would've given up eventually, and if it didn't we could've just killed it."

"And what if its lair is up somewhere high or particularly well hidden? How would we find it? If the other scouts are trapped there they would die before we figured it out."

Cassandra opened her mouth, then shut it again, pursing her lips before sighing in defeat. "You have a point. Still, you need to be careful. We cannot close the breach without you."

"I know, I'm sorry. Look, let's regroup for ten minutes, see what the scout has to tell us, then go save the rest of them." Herah said, getting to her feet.

Cassandra nodded, and she and Solas made their way to the tents. Herah sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of her neck.

"So, still think this is a great mission to be on?" She asked with a wry smile. Sera laughed.

"Are you kidding? This is brilliant! I mean, did you see that dragon? She was beautiful!"

Herah chuckled. "Glad to know there's someone else here as crazy as I am. It almost seems a shame that we're going to have to kill her."

"Yeah. You like dragons too?" Sera asked curiously, walking back to the tents with the Herald.

"I do. It's said that Qunari are descended from dragons, so it almost feels like an honor to stand near one, even if I'm running for my life. What do you like about them?"

"Well, they're big and strong and they've got those cool horns-" The elf stopped mid sentence, squinting at Herah.

"That's all?" The herald asked, looking down at her. Her eyes were so bright, and Sera was instantly reminded of the vibrancy of the dragon's eyes. It didn't help that the metal fittings on her horns glinted in the light with every step and she could see the muscles on her arms and shoulders because of how wet her shirt was where it peaked out from her vest and breastplate from being thrown into the water at the base of the pillar. She felt her ears turning red again. Big, strong, has horns... Shit. The elf cleared her throat, looking away and towards the tents.

"Nah I mean they've got fire and shit too, plus they can fly, like imagine riding somethin' like that!" She said, babbling slightly. Herah laughed as they made it to the medical tent where the scout was.

"If you can figure out a way to ride a dragon without dying immediately, let me know and I'll be first in line to help you try it out." Her smile was innocent, and Sera knew she didn't mean it in the way part of her hoped she did, but given their discussion and the idea that Qunari were somehow related to dragons, she had to fight with herself to not spend the next two hours imagining being on top of her, riding-

No. Nope. First day of work. Don't think about screwing your boss. No matter how fit and tall she is. Sera swallowed hard and giggled a little, nervousness tinging the edges of the sound.

"I'll be sure to let you know then Lady Herald." Herah blinked, stammering for a moment before a healer opened the tent flap, bumping into them on his way out.

"Oh, your worship. My apologies I didn't see you, the scout is physically alright but a bit shaken up. I think it's alright for you to talk with him but please try not to scare or pressure him too much. Excuse me." The Herald nodded, then as he walked away she looked back at Sera. 

"I suppose we should go and talk to the boy then." She said, ears and cheeks a bit darker than usual. They pushed into the tent, finding the boy resting on one of the cots that had been set up. He was fine as the healer had said, but he needed somewhere safe, dim, and quiet so he could sleep and recover mentally. He looked to them as they walked in and Herah's heart broke a little. He was young. Too young for this. He couldn't have been older than seventeen. He had brown eyes like carnelians and short, scruffy brown hair that made the freckles across his nose stand out and how skinny the lad was more obvious. He was a scrawny one, and that worried her a little, but the healer had said he was fine so she assumed it was just his body type. She sat down in the chair next to his bed as he watched her with starstruck eyes.

"My name is Herah." She said simply, offering her hand for a shake, largely because she blanked on what else she could possibly say.

"M-M-My name's C-Carver, my lady." He said, shaking her hand with a firm, quiet excitement. "Thank you for your intervention earlier. Without the help of you and your companions, I'd've perished before I made it back to the other scout posting."

"It was our pleasure. We're here looking for Scout Harding and her squad, am I right in assuming you are one of them?"

"I am. The others that are left are at the end of the valley near an old dock. I don't know how much longer they can last. I know I've no right or rank to ask this but..." His fists ball in the sheets as his knees and he bites his lip, eyes going watery. "Please. Please save them."

"That's what we're here to do. We're going to move out as soon as we leave this tent. Can you give me a report on the area?" She asked softly, gently laying one of her hands over his. He nods and launches into a report, and Herah listens intently to every detail he gives her. Sera watches her face, watches how carefully she's paying attention. She can practically see her absorbing the information as it's presented to her, she was meticulous in it, and Sera found she liked that. She liked that she listened. It didn't matter that this boy should be back home on his family farm or chasing a skirt in some town, it didn't matter that he had probably lied about his age to enlist in the Inquisition, it didn't matter that he had innocent eyes and boyish features and he probably hardly had a copper to his name, she listened and she listened well, even when he was talking about things that might not matter to the mission, like the plants or types of stones in the region or how they got into this mess in the first place, and when he said he was sorry that this had happened and tears bloomed in his eyes, even though he was a stranger who might try and shiv her for all she knew, she hugged him. This big, horned woman wrapped her arms around him and quietly told him it was alright, they were going to save the rest of the squad no matter what, and that she was happy to personally see it done. It occurred to the elf that she might be doing this for her image as the Herald, but something in her voice and her eyes said otherwise. She cared, a lot. Probably more than most would consider sane and healthy, enough that it might destroy her one day, but still she persisted and she cared. Sera felt for the first time that maybe her attraction to her wouldn't be as fleeting as she thought, but she didn't have time to chase that thought further because the scout had calmed and Herah was standing now.

"Let's go. The sooner we get there the better." She was upset, the scout had told her of the losses the squad had sustained before he managed to make a run for it, they had only lost one, but to her it was clear that one was too many. She was determined, her stride long and purposeful. As they walked she didn't need to call out to Solas and Cassandra, they both met them as they walked through the tunnel. Sera listened as the Herald gave them an abridged version of the scout's report and outlined the plan that she'd come up with so far. She and Cassandra talked strategy a bit as they walked, but it was the work of minutes to decide what each person would do. Herah and Cassandra would distract and attack the dragon in turn while Solas covered the scouts with a barrier to move them out of the area and Sera laid down cover fire. If the dragon went after the scouts, then it was Cassandra's job to fall back and protect them and Solas while Herah attacked and did her best to regain its attention. It was impossible to tell what would happen in the heat of battle, but they all took comfort from having some semblance of a plan.

As they approached the end of the valley, they saw the opening in the hills the scout had mentioned and snuck through, carefully sliding into some shrubbery for cover. As Herah surveyed the area near the dock, she managed to pick out what was hopefully the form of four living scouts hiding amongst the rocks and scrub at the base of an old wooden tower, likely chased there by the dragonlings and the dragon herself, though she seemed at least temporarily unaware of their location. As the dragon turned away from the hidden scouts, Herah and Cassandra burst from cover, running in two different directions. The dragon roared and went for Herah first, snapping her jaws at her and sending out jets of flame. The flames danced across the back of the coat she'd taken from a corpse on the way there as she ran, diving out of the way and rolling to her feet to keep running several times as Cassandra began to hack at one of her hind legs, her sword biting into her haunch. The dragon spun, her tail sweeping into the seeker and knocking her away. As her attention shifted away from Herah and her field of view left Sera and Solas' hiding spot, Herah darted forward as the two elves stepped out of the brush, Solas immediately slinging ice spells while Sera loosed a nocked arrow, the tip striking the side of the dragon's neck as Herah's dagger bit into her side. The dragon whirled around with a roar, savagely kicking back with one of her front legs, batting Herah away. She slammed into the ground and bounced across it before finding her feet. The side she'd landed on throbbed but the dragon had turned to Cassandra and was looking past her. She'd spotted the scouts.

"Solas! The scouts!" She shouted sprinting back to attack as Cassandra fell back to cover them and Solas covered them with a magical barrier. Sera readjusted, running to the rocks behind Herah and firing shot after shot to cover the Herald as she attacked again. She drove her daggers into the sensitive spot at the hinge of her shoulder and was almost immediately sent flying again as the dragon whipped her head around, ramming her with a horn, roaring in pain and anger. She bore down on Herah, slashing at her as she bounced from the earlier blow, claws catching her shoulder, skating loudly across her breastplate before biting into her hip. The blow sent her rolling toward the dock and the dragon chased her, going to swat at her again. This time though she got her feet under her, springing forward under the dragon's massive claws and slashed at her underbelly, carving two deep gashes. Her eyes locked with Cassandra as she darted away again, back towards Sera. The dragon followed her, turning its back to the scouts and the seeker broke cover, dragging a haggard looking string of scouts behind her. The dragon didn't even notice, launching a fireball at Herah as she ran. She dove to the side, palms scraping harshly against the rough stone under her as she slid against the ground and back to her feet. Dragonlings began to pour into the area, and the scouts, tired though they were, raised their bows in their defense. As the dragon continued chasing Herah, Scout Harding and Sera covered Cassandra, Solas, and the scouts as they retreated through the gap in the mountains to get the other scouts out of danger and on their way to camp. Sera lost count of how many arrows she fired, the only thing she knew was the thrum of her heartbeat in her ears until there was a heavy weight on her back and claws ripping into her shoulders. She yelled in pain, but she couldn't roll to defend herself, the dragonling was too heavy. It reared its back, prepared to bite down on her neck, when Sera simultaneously heard the whistle and thud of an arrow and saw Herah jump at her, tackling the dragonling the rest of the way off of her.

"Fall back!" She yelled, plunging her daggers into the dragonling's underbelly. Sera began to follow orders, starting to run back towards where Scout Harding was laying down cover fire to give her a path, but something told her to look back. Tackling the dragonling had sent her further than Herah had wanted to go, putting her back towards the large lake behind her, nowhere else to run. The dragon prowled toward her, throat beginning to glow. She knew the only way she'd survive was to run past her or dive into the lake, but it was very unlikely that would work a second time or that she'd manage to get out of the lake or into a position to defend herself before the dragon would be on her again. Sera brought her bow up, taking a deep breath and drawing it back as far as she could.

"Hey! You big beautiful tit! Over here!" Sera yelled, loosing an arrow and watching it bury itself in the side of the dragon's neck by its jaw. She roared in pain and turned, once again fixing her gaze on the elf. She gulped, and began sprinting back towards where Cassandra was coming back from getting the scouts to safety with Solas. The dragon began beating its wings hard, knocking all of them off their feet, the swirling air pulling them across the stone to her. She roared and bore down on Sera, fixing her with a mesmerizing glare. Once again, time seemed to stop. She heard Cassandra shout, Solas cursing as he fumbled with a lyrium potion and the loud pounding of boots on stone as the dragon's throat lit up once more. Then she was there, sliding across the stone, a bent, rusted and charred tower shield with broken straps on her arm that she'd grabbed from a corpse by the mound of basalt pillars at the edge of the lake, slamming the base into the ground as she wrapped an arm around Sera and tucked her head, pulling her so close her breath was tickling the hairs behind her ear. There was a loud whooshing sound and then blinding brightness all around them as the fire burst across the shield and around them. Herah had her body pressed tight to the shield, pulling herself and Sera as close to it as possible. She heard the snap of Sera's bow string as the heat burnt through it, the wood popping and crackling as it lit up, watched Sera drop it, tucking her arms closer to her, balled against her stomach. She closed her eyes, screwing them tight against the light, tucking her head over Sera's as she heard the plop and sizzle of the edges of the shield melting, tears pricking her eyes as her coat burnt away wherever it touched the shield and her skin began to blister. She felt her face twist into a snarl, a growl of pain rumbling in her chest. The shield began to warp around her arm, the glowing metal causing her coat to instantly burst into flames. The dragon was getting closer, the heat more intense in the middle of the shield, then as the shield glowed white and she began to lose feeling in her arm she felt it, magic descending over them, a barrier springing up. With a roar of rage and pain she whirled, smashing the molten shield into the side of the dragon's head, the metal wrapping around the side of the dragon's face as what was left of her daggers, the grips on their hilts burnt to ash and the metal glowing red hot slashed harshly through the scales of her throat. Sera saw Cassandra on the other side of the dragon, running forward and cutting into its side. The dragon roared again, turning to her, the scales on her throat spreading as fire built in it once more. Cassandra raised her shield, but before the fire could come, Herah drove her daggers down to the hilt into her neck through the gaps in her scales, puncturing the chamber of her throat that contained her fire. Unfortunately for her, the dragon had already built up enough back pressure that the punctures from her daggers caused it to explode in Herah's face, sending her flying back, knocking the wind out of her and soundly scorching what was left of her armor, her skin cracking with burns even from brief exposure to it. She groaned, ready to get to her feet and try to fight again, but she looked up and saw the dragon give its last breath, head hanging unnaturally and throat opened in a gaping, gory mess. There was silence for a moment, then she laughed, coughing a bit as she did so, rolling onto her good side. Before she knew it, Sera found herself laughing as well, and soon Cassandra was chuckling a little and even Solas was smiling. They did it, and the scouts that were left when they got there had all lived. Herah grinned up at Sera wolfishly, relief sparkling in her eyes.

"How's that for a first day of work?" She called, grinning at her jovially. Sera laughed.

"I've had worse that's for sure! Did you see her fight? She was gorgeous! All that muscle and those wings and horns! Phwoar!"

Herah laughed at that, Cassandra rolling her eyes, Solas sneering slightly in disgust, but they were all still quite giddy at having survived. That joy was short lived though as the adrenaline wore off and Cassandra felt her broken ribs with every breath and the slashes from the dragon's claws across her shoulder and back with every movement. Herah's teeth began to chatter from the shock as the pain of her burns and gashes settled over her. Sera was closest so she ran to her and helped her, offering her the last healing potion she had left while Solas went to Cassandra to make sure she didn't have any lethal internal damage. 

"Fuck fuck shit arse balls." She muttered to herself, regretting that she hadn't brought her the potion immediately when the dragon had died, scraped up fingers fumbling with the cork before she managed to pull it out. Herah looked terrible. Her skin was getting pale and clammy, most of her leather coat had burnt off and in places Sera swore she could see bone on her back, the skin blackened and raw, muscles jaggedly burnt and seeping blood, and what wasn't burnt was rapidly darkening with bruises or covered in cuts and gashes. Her hands shook a little, she wanted to help but all she could do was help her sit up enough to drink the damn potion. Herah took the bottle from her with a shaking hand, forcing herself to still enough to drink it. Sera watched her grimace as the potion took effect, her muscles rippling and knitting back together where they'd been burnt through and her less severe burns, cuts, and bruises healing completely until it was just the gashes from the dragon's claws across her hip and shoulder, the burns across her back and arm, and some miscellaneous gashes and seeping wounds from the dragonlings on her thigh.

"Are you ok?" She asked, brows knit together over her grey green eyes in concern. Herah nodded, carefully trying to sit up and grimacing as she did.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I don't have any potions left for you, you got burnt too, and you still have those scratches from the dragonlings." Sera looked down at her words and felt the throb on the outside of her thighs, the back of her neck, and her bare shoulders. As she inspected herself she found a couple of blisters, but nothing a healing potion from camp wouldn't fix.

"Ah yes, such a selfish git for not wanting to die." The elf said sarcastically before helping her to her feet.

"Herald are you alright?" Cassandra called to them as she stood as well, Solas having determined she was alright to go back to camp.

"Not completely but I'll live."

"Good, because I'm going to kill you for being so reckless! If Solas hadn't had a lyrium potion left you and Sera both would've died!"

"I know Cassandra." Herah said with a heavy sigh. "You can chew me out on the way back to camp."

 

As they made their way back to camp Sera watched the Herald carefully, and whenever her step faltered a little or she almost stumbled, she was there, pressing a bit against her good side to balance her. Herah would give her small, grateful smiles when she did, and when Cassandra caught on to what she was doing, she walked along on her other side, limping along beside her just in case as she chewed her out. She knew that she didn't have much in the way of other choices and readily admitted it, but more than anything it seemed to Sera that she felt guilty that Herah had picked up a shield to protect her because Cassandra wasn't there to do it herself. Fortunately, she'd calmed down by the time they reached the camp, and everyone in the camp sent up a great cheer at their arrival, the scout they'd saved earlier running to those they'd brought with them immediately, wrapping every one of them he could reach in a hug. They were all his friends, and it meant the world to him that they'd all lived. They went to the healers together as well, but it was the work of moments to give them the care they needed and they were in and out in a blink. Cassandra and Herah on the other hand had to stay for a bit longer. Sera was sat down on a cot as the healing potion she'd just taken took effect, healing her burns along with her bruises and cuts as she looked on with amusement, Cassandra and Herah bickering over whether she could've waited for the seeker or not as Cassandra unbuckled her armor, dropping it beside the cot they were going to lay her down on to inspect her and make sure nothing was out of place that a healing potion couldn't fix as a healer worked on carefully pulling the black, hardened remnants of Herah's coat away from her burns so they could see the damage more clearly. As Cassandra was laying down on the cot to get looked at, still bickering with her, the healer stepped away and Sera watched as she shrugged out of the remaining sleeve of the coat and was helped out of what was left of her vest and shirt. She had silvery scars everywhere along her sides, across her chest, on her stomach, but they weren't as noticeable as the large and jagged one stretching from her left hip, up across her abs to the underside of her right breast interrupted only by the gashes from the dragon's claws that drew thick, oozing, angry red lines from the bottom of her ribs on the right to her left hip. A healer knelt in front of her, inspecting them and spreading a green mush across them that made her muscles twitch and jump under her skin at the sting of it in the wounds before covering it with a thin layer of bandages, then standing to do the same to her shoulder where the claws had originally connected before directing her to lay on her stomach on the table. During this, she was too busy with her conversation with Cassandra to be shy about being half naked, only paying enough attention to hold what was left of the bands of cloth that supported and covered her breasts to her chest and laying down when she was told. Sera found her eyes tracing her arms as she laid down, noting how strong they looked and the fact that they were also covered in scars, mostly long slashes on her forearms and deep gashes and old puncture wounds on her bicep. She watched the healer work, knowing full well Herah could at most have two more healing potions today and anxious to see if that would be enough. Despite trying not to get attached to these people until she knew more about who they really were, she found herself caring about them, not just Herah but Cassandra too, and the dwarf, Varric that she'd met when she met them originally, not so much Solas though, he was too elfy and treated her like trash for not being as elfy as he was. Stupid git. She was pulled out of her irritation as the healer grimaced, dragging a hand across his neck. He wordlessly handed her another potion and she propped herself up on her good arm, drinking it down quickly. The healer's stare was intense as he watched her muscles knit together further, covering the last of the showing bone. He seemed a little relieved, but not much.

"I have good news and bad news my lady. The good news is that this isn't going to kill you, the bad news is that one more potion isn't going to heal these and if you drink another today you won't be able to drink any tomorrow, your liver just won't be able to handle it. I'm afraid that for now we're going to have to treat it normally. We'll put an elfroot poultice on it for the pain and to help it heal a little more and bandage it but I recommend taking a healing potion first thing in the morning every morning until it's fully healed. It should only be a few of days, and I recommend trying to avoid using more than one healing potion a day during that time. You told me you had to use three in the fight with the dragon and three others at the end of and outside of that, a normal person shouldn't have more than three in one day, your body needs a break." He began slathering the green stuff onto her back. "If you feel a lot of pain, as you likely will, I recommend chewing some elfroot straight. It tastes like ass but it's native to the region, abundant, and if you chew it straight it will help much faster than any tea or tincture I can give you. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and try not to aggravate it too much. I know you must travel to Redcliffe tomorrow for a meeting with the mages but try not to get into any fights, and if you must, just try not to land on this side if you get kicked around a lot alright?"

"I understand, thank you." She said as he gently laid a layer of bandaging over the burns before motioning for her to get up. She stood again and her wrapped her body with some more bandages to ensure the poultice was pressed to the wounds like it needed to be before handing her a clean white cotton sleeveless tunic. 

"Just try not to get yourself killed your worship. We need you." He said solemnly before turning and going to organize his supplies.

 

 

Later that evening, after she finished a meeting with Scout Harding, Cassandra, and one of Cullen's underlings, she made her way to the two tents for her and her companions. She was tired, it could be seen in her posture and the way she walked, muscles stiff from the fight and her burns felt tight from standing during the meeting. The sky had grown dim an hour ago, and now the stars were beginning to peak out from behind clouds as the moon began its gentle path. She looked around, noting the soldiers around the fire eating bowls of stew and composing trashy and off key songs about the slaying of the dragon. Cassandra was off to the side, speaking quietly with a particularly shaken scout and she could see a couple of lights on in the two tents that she and her party were using. Presumably Solas and Sera separately, she couldn't imagine the two of them sharing a tent successfully. She took a deep breath, walking to one of the tents and quietly praying to whatever higher powers would listen that she'd picked the tent without Solas. She liked him well enough, but he was almost more judgmental than Cassandra, and he often looked at her like she was a tool, a means to an end he wished to achieve. She hated that.

Fortunately, she'd picked correctly, entering the tent to find Sera tinkering with-

"Is that a jar of bees?" She asked, dumbstruck. Sera was dropping a few dandelion flower heads into an open jar of docile bees, quickly screwing the lid on at the question.

"Yeah, makes a great grenade. You throw it and the glass breaks and people piss themselves trying to get away." She said with what could be considered a maniacal giggle. Herah blinked.

"How tired am I that that seems like an excellent strategy." She said as she knelt to unfurl her bedroll, immediately dropping onto it once it was unrolled, pulling her pack over and pulling out a couple of sticks of ram jerky, gratefully tearing into them.

"S'cos it's brilliant, works every time too." Sera said. Herah's eyes were tired, and Sera could see the edges of her bandages peaking out from under her shirt. The burnt arm was wrapped in a thick coating of cotton gauze and she could smell the antiseptic herbs in the poultice staining the white fabric. She eyed it, noting that it went all the way from her mid bicep down to her wrist. 

"Why'd they bandage you up instead of giving you a potion?" She asked, mostly to cover up for the fact that she'd been eavesdropping earlier.

"It's too deep and we can't spare them right now, we don't know what's waiting at Redcliffe. They gave me one, and a regeneration potion that I'm supposed to take before I go to sleep that's meant to help my body heal while I sleep." 

"Sounds like magic. It either heals you or it doesn't. Magic takes time to heal things." Sera said, nose wrinkling as she set her jar of bees to the side and Herah shook her head.

"No, it's just alchemy." Sera eyed her suspiciously, watching her show her a bottle with three leaves embossed on it. It was filled with a red liquid similar to the normal healing potions that looked like some sort of juice with little flecks of plant material in it. After Sera had seen it, Herah uncorked it, taking a deep breath and drinking it in one go, her nose wrinkling at the bitter taste. "Alchemy of shit apparently."

Sera laughed as Herah reached for her water skin, washing the potion down with some of its contents. The herald pulled a book from her bag along with a writing utensil, opening the book and scribbling some things before she began sketching. The elf observed her for a while, watching the light from the lanterns in their tent dancing across her scars and the bandages on her arms. She watched her face as she sketched, saw how it set in focus, eyebrows drawing together now and again in concentration on whatever she was sketching. Sera's gaze dropped to her hands and where the book was braced on the thigh of a bent leg that moved along with her back to bring the book closer or farther away as she drew. Her hands were weathered, covered in small scars and calluses, and her left hand had a dull green glow in the middle of it, vibrant veins pulsing softly with its light. She stared at the mark for a minute or two, thinking to herself that it was pretty, though not trusting it for a minute. Magic is bad, always has been to her. Eventually her eyes moved on, roaming up her arms, inspecting the bandages on the left, and the toned muscles crisscrossed with more scars and a few bandages on the right. She followed it up to her collarbones and the column of her neck, admiring the scars there and noting with curiosity a scar that ran from her upper lip down her neck and into her shirt before she realized Herah was looking at her. Sera met her eyes as she quirked a brow and felt her ears warm a little at being caught.

"What did you do before this? Before the whole chosen one thing. Cassandra says you were a merc." The elf blurted out, trying to seem a little less weird for staring at her like that.

"She's right, I was a mercenary. I was in a company with other qunari. Why?"

"The way you picked up that shield. Soldiers do that. You aren't a soldier. You're fast and strong and you care about people. Why?" Herah blinked.

"Which part? Those are two very different questions."

"Answer them one at a time then." Sera said with a purse of her lips. Herah laughed.

"Fair. I used a sword and shield for a little while, didn't get far with it. We went on a job, my shield got knocked away and my sword broken, but there was some daggers on his belt around and I was faster than he was. Since then I just haven't bothered continuing to train with a sword and shield. Might've been different if I knew more but it just isn't worth what it could cost." She said bluntly, beginning to unlace her boots and get ready for bed. She'd soundly dodged the question of why she cared about people, but Sera admitted that sounded like the kind of question an arse would ask to begin with so she was willing to let it go.

"Why mercs?" Herah gave her a smile that was tired and a little tight. Painful subject then, Sera thought to herself.

"That's a longer story than we have time for tonight Sera. Tomorrow we're going to Redcliffe, and I wanna be asleep whenever this regeneration potion kicks in." Sera nodded as Herah took her boots and socks off, setting them to the side and laying back on her bedroll.

"Good point. Mind if I keep the lantern on a bit longer? Got some stuff I wanna write down 'bout the dragon 'fore I forget."

"Go ahead, the light won't bother me. Good night Sera." 

"G'Night Herah." Sera pulled her journal out from her own bag and began to write as Herah closed her eyes, going to sleep a few minutes later.

_Killed a dragon today. All fire and wings and scales and... Wow._

_[Below there are a few sketches of the dragon, one of its underside as it flies overhead, another of it breathing fire at Solas (near its head there's a note that says Eggy with an arrow pointing to his sparkling bald dome), and a last one of its eyes when it looked at her before it tried to burn her to death.]_

_Almost died a couple of times but..._

_[She draws a few sketches of Herah's maneuver with her coat, then below it a larger one of Herah's silhouette and the shield melting as fire rushed past them.]_

_She saved me. Burnt her arm and back. Smiled though. Sharp teeth. That smile..._

_[Another sketch, this time of Herah's arm and the crisped and burnt edges of her coat, in the margin nearby she scrawls 'Ouch'. There's another sketch beside it of Herah at her full height, grinning wolfishly from the ground next to the slain dragon. Particular attention has been paid to her canines, horns, and eyes. In the margin beside it there's a small sketch of Sera biting her lip.]_

_Bickered with Cassandra the whole way back. Cassandra thinks she's too reckless, but if she hadn't been then I would've died..._

_Shared a tent with her. Talked a bit. Says she used to be a merc. Asked why, but got no answer._

Sera looks up from her writing at Herah as she sleeps, noting her troubled expression. For a moment she thought her light was keeping her up, but the twitching of her fingers and the tossing and turning (as much as can be done laying on the ground with horns like those anyways) tipped her off that she was dreaming. She went back to her journal.

_Sleeping now, tossing and turning. Horns seem to get in the way a little bit. Burns hurt?_

_[Below is a final sketch of Herah, face pinched slightly in pain with the moonlight that filtered through the canvas of the tent highlighting her scars and horns.] ___

____

____

Sera closes her journal, sliding it back into her bag before turning out the lantern and going to sleep herself.

 

Herah woke early, before even the scouts. She quietly got dressed and stepped out of the tent, silver breath puffing out in the last of the moonlight as the twilight between night and dawn began. She'd slept fitfully, her arm and back throbbing all night and her nose pinched with tension as it throbbed again, the cold air permeating the bandages and soothing some of the heat and tension radiating from it. As she watched the first rays of light arching across the sky, Scout Harding emerged from one of the other tents, jumping a bit at the sight of her.

"Well you're up early. How're your burns?" She asked, coming to stand by her.

"Hurts, but not too bad. The healers gave me a regeneration potion last night so it's better. How are you and the other scouts?"

"They're good. Glad to be alive. Carver cried most of the night. It meant a lot to him that you came to help us. Some of the others were considering giving up and letting the dragon take them, they didn't think anyone would come. I have to say, their morale has improved greatly since the Herald of Andraste herself came to their rescue." Scout Harding said with a teasing smile. Herah rolled her eyes, but a small, sad smile teased at her lips.

"Ah yes, the Herald who failed to come in time to save all of them." She said cynically, running a hand through her hair in agitation. Scout Harding sighed, sitting beside her.

"Look. You can't save everyone, but most people in your position wouldn't think twice about a couple of lost scouts. They'd assume we'd fallen in a ravine or a canyon and broken our necks. They wouldn't have sent anyone after us, much less come themselves. Enzo... Enzo was killed when we first encountered the dragon. You couldn't have saved him. No one could've, no matter how hard we tried." She faltered, a heavy sigh flowing from her. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Save the ones you can, mourn those you can't, and never falter when they need you. Anyways, my scouts and I will head for Redcliffe in an hour. Give us an hour or two head start and we can guarantee you safe passage to the village."

"Harding if you need to take some time-"

"Would that I could, but the boys need to be kept busy and we're already late enough getting you to your meeting with the grand enchanter." She said, pushing off the rocks and walking away. "See you at Redcliffe."

 

Herah sighed as they saw Haven in the distance a day later. Needless to say the meeting with the grand enchanter hadn't gone the way she'd hoped, but at least she'd gained an ally in Dorian. He was a strange man, but so far she saw no reason to mistrust him, and he seemed to have good reason to want to help so she was glad to have him, but the anxiety of the revelation of this new cult and what that could mean had her wanting to rush to the war table to convene with the others, make a plan and put it into action as soon as possible. However, her group needed rest, and Leliana would likely want to use the agent they'd acquired to find out more so she'd be stuck in Haven for a couple of days at least.

As soon as they got in the gate, everyone went their separate ways, all eager to rest. Herah drug herself to the small one room house she'd been allowed to use since she stepped out of the Fade, immediately kicking her boots off and setting them by the fire to dry. She dropped her pack by her bed, removing her armor and laying it out to dry as well. She barely got her wet clothes off and one of her warmer undershirts and a clean pair of pants and socks on before she collapsed into bed on her stomach. She fumbled sleepily with the covers for a minute, drawing them all the way up to her neck to help ward off the cold before passing out, sleeping for a good five hours or so before waking up to a knock at her door.

"Your worship?" A servant called from outside.

"I'll be right there." She responded, stifling a yawn as she pulled her boots and a jacket on before opening the door, looking down at the elf standing on the stoop. "Yes?"

"L-lady Leliana says that you are needed in the war room. Forgive me for the disturbance."

"It's perfectly alright, thank you for telling me." The elf nodded respectfully to her before running off on her next errand. She sighed, making her way to the chantry and walking to the war room. Leliana, Josephine, Cassandra and Cullen stood around the table, all four of them looking up at her entrance. Before them on the war table stood two large markers amid the smattering of smaller ones.

"We've been briefed on the situation in Redcliffe. Alexius' forces have taken the keep soundly, and it will be difficult to enter it undetected. It would be easier to go to the templars for aid, despite their actions in Val Royeaux." Cullen said, reaching out a finger to tap the marker that rest atop the templar's current stronghold.

"However, the mages are powerful, and it seems they need our help." Cassandra stepped forward as she spoke, leaning against the table and looking to Leliana.

"Cassandra is right, and though it may seem difficult, I believe that we could sneak our troops into Redcliffe while you make your entrance in the main hall. His troops will be too focused on you to notice if they're quiet about it." As the spymaster spoke she moved several raven topped markers to Redcliffe, situating them around the castle at the entrance points for her people.

"While this is a military matter, Fereldan politics are not weighted in favor of the mages at the moment, so it could be good for us to help them and either ally or conscript them. For us, we would gain bodies and magical prowess, and to Fereldan, it would put the mages on a leash. Either way the war will be ended unless the templars assault the Inquisition over it." Josephine said casually, scratching notes on the page attached to her writing board.

Herah surveyed the map, sighing as her eyes settled on Leliana's marker. These days each one stood for a squad of twenty, and that weighed on her. If they went to the templars for help, they wouldn't risk sacrificing any of Leliana's people, but they would leave the mages to the influence of this cult, the Venatori, possibly leaving them all to die horribly or come back and slaughter the armies of the Inquisition with their magic and possibly demons. If time magic was at play as Dorian said, then it meant they'd allied with the mages in the timeline before Alexius' meddling, and whatever affect that had had been significant enough that their enemy was willing to risk tearing the fabric of the world and the Fade apart to stop it.

"We have to choose the mages. They need our help, and if Dorian is telling the truth, we've chosen them before, and their impact against our enemy was great enough that they'd risk the fabric of reality to stop it." As she spoked, she noticed the commander's shoulders droop a little. She knew it was possible that the templars needed their help as well, but it was only possible, not definite. These people needed their help, and time traveling magister or no she wouldn't leave them to the wolves like that.

"My people will begin moving into position then. It will take a couple of days to get everything into position, so I recommend you and the others get some rest in the meantime, and pray to the Maker that this works." Leliana said as she left, Josephine and Cullen filing out after her. Herah heaved a sigh again.

"The number of men bothers you doesn't it?" The seeker asked, resting her hip on the table beside her.

"That obvious huh? I hate that I might be condemning good men and women to die, but we can't leave the mages like this. It's wrong." Cassandra put a hand on her shoulder.

"Leading is never easy. Every day we have to decide who goes where to die. Every day that is until we close the breach and bring justice to whoever killed the Divine. It is... Good that it weighs on you. It means you will not throw away their lives or sacrifices meaninglessly, and that is why they follow your word. They signed up to die if it meant saving the world, saving their families and those they love. If it is any consolation, we will be able to give them a chance. If we play our part well enough, it's very possible that none will die, at least not this time." After a moment, the seeker moved to the door, about to leave.

"Thank you, that... helps a little." Herah hears her boots falter on the stone at her words, turning to look at her. Cassandra looks at her sadly, she's known the burden of leading, and it shows in her eyes.

"People will always die. You cannot save everyone, but what matters is that you honor their sacrifice, and when the battle is done, you carry their memory in your hearts, and what you can of their bodies and effects to their families." Her voice was heavy with painful memories as she spoke, then there was nothing but the sound of her boots on the stone as Herah was left alone with her thoughts.

 

Later that evening, as soldiers and villagers were gathering in the tavern, Herah was on her way back to her temporary home when she saw a certain mischievous elf with a jar of bees hiding behind the tavern, looking around the corner and giggling. She quirked a brow, making her way over to stand behind her.

"Do I dare ask what you're doing?" She said with a smile, leaning against the wall behind her. Sera jumped, whipping around and ready to throw her jar of bees right into her face. Herah caught her wrist. "Woah, it's just me, not gonna hurt you."

"You git, why'd you spook me like that?" Sera said, pulling out of her grip and turning back around, scrutinizing the crowd pouring into the tavern.

"It wasn't entirely on purpose, but I didn't want to blow your cover by being too loud. Now what're you up to?"

"There're some right pricks in the tavern these days. Sayin' things like you're loony for thinking magic what's-her-name talked to you in Val Royeaux. They also seem to think they can get away with kickin' people around, like that elven servant that Cassandra uses to send messages to you."

"So you're going to bee bomb the whole tavern?"

"Rich tits throw parties with friends to celebrate how great they are, what better way to get revenge than to embarrass them there?"

"You're willing to waste an entire jar of bees for that?" The herald asked, brow quirked in curiosity, a mischievous smile playing at her lips.

"Nah, real bees are too good for these arseholes, these are felt with little wire leggy bits. Gonna unscrew the lid and dump'em down the back of his shirt when he goes to address the other puffed up pricks."

"How are you gonna do that from out here?"

"Gits like him always like scenic backgrounds. He'll put his back to the window."

"Hm. Ok I'm in." Sera stifled a giggle at her words.

"Get off, you're too important."

"Says who? Besides, you need an alibi don't you? What if there's a witness?" Sera turned to look at her as she spoke, her lips twitching into a broad grin.

"You're loony."

"Apparently so if I'm making up visits from magical people." She shrugged her broad shoulders as she spoke, smirking slightly. Sera giggled.

"Well fit and funny. Careful, Lady Herald." Her voice was flirtatious, and dark lips curled into a wolfish smile at her words.

"I've never been known for my caution. Speaking of, our mark seems to be getting into position, meet me in front of the tavern for a smooth entrance after." And with that she was gone, nonchalantly making her way to the front of the tavern and striking up conversation with one of the scouts who was about to go in for a drink.

Sera crept up to the window, crouching below it. She waited until he had everyone's attention and started talking, and right in the middle of his spiel, she popped up and dumped the jar down his collar, waiting long enough to dart away for him to catch a glimpse of her red shirt. She took a second to right herself next to Herah who now stood alone outside the tavern, taking her arm before the Qunari opened the door and they stepped inside, taking in the sight of what turned out to be the son of a lesser Arl from the area around Crestwood hopping and digging at the back of his shirt, swearing like a madman in front of thirty or so people. When he caught sight of Sera his face went from cherry to beat red.

"You! You did this! Put bugs down my shirt you little knife-eared trollop!" Sera feigned delicate offense.

"How could I? I've been with the Lady Herald all evening."

"It's true, in fact we were just discussing your father and the state of his lands. How embarrassing, making up stories just for attention, I'm sure he will be quite disappointed to hear the slander you've directed at high ranking members of the Inquisition already when you haven't been here even a week." His face went from red to purple as the last of the felt bees fell out of the back of his now very unkempt and wrinkled shirt.

"'High ranking'?! She's little better than a trumped up bar wench hanging about the tavern constantly!" Herah bristled but did her best to maintain her composure and nonchalant tone.

"Says the barely legitimized bastard of a disgraced Arl. If this is all you bring to the Inquisition maybe I'll speak to our spy master and commander about sending you home to your father for a little more training in diplomacy, Maker knows I've met rams more polite than you," Chuckles and stifled laughs rippled through the tavern. "and before you go bandying words like knife ear about, maybe consider those rumors about your mother being one." Whispers began and Sera had to carefully walk behind Herah to the bar so that she could let herself at least smile. Flissa stifled a laugh at the face she was making and slid two beers to her.

"I'm sure it was an honest mistake, let's continue our evening." Sera said, using her posh accent that she'd learned from copying Vivienne.

"Hm, quite. Maybe we'll draft a letter to the Arl." Herah took her beer from Sera, freeing one of the elf's arms to take hers, then with a dignified step the two exited the tavern, barely making it to Herah's temporary home before practically falling over laughing the minute they got in the door.

"Did you see his stupid face-"

"I thought his head was going to explode!"

"That was brilliant!" They laughed till they had tears in their eyes before finally managing to right themselves. Herah gestured to the table and they sat down, drinking some of their beers to wet their now dry throats.

"Are there really rumors that his mum's an elf?" Sera asked curiously. Herah snorted.

"Maker no, I made that up, but now he's going to go chasing down a ghost thinking someone close to home started them. I doubt anyone will get hurt, his father will probably reign him in before they can. I just wanted to get back at him for calling you a knife ear." Sera blinked.

"Why? S'not like I don't hear it all the time. Grew up in Denerim yeah? Shitty place with shittier people."

"Just because you're used to it doesn't mean you deserve being called that or have to put up with it." Before Sera can respond, Josephine calls out from a short distance outside the door.

"YOU TWO!" Herah and Sera look to each other, brief panic on their faces. The herald grabs Sera's hand, running to the window and jumping out of it, dashing around the side of the house then straight for the gates as Josephine burst into her house. The two of them ran out the gates and into the woods by the training grounds. Josephine didn't pursue them past a couple of yards outside the gates before letting out a noise of frustration and turning on her heel, stomping away. The two looked at each other, Sera bursting into a mix of giggles and laughter as Herah groaned.

"Maker she's going to have my ass at the next war room meeting."

"Pff she'd be so lucky." Sera muttered, looking out through the pines around them at the forest. Herah pretended not to hear her, unsure if she was meant to, and if she's being honest with herself too flustered to formulate a smooth response. The elf saved her the trouble, turning her head back to look at her. "How long do you reckon till it's safe to go back?"

Herah grimaced. "It might not be completely safe until morning. Where do you sleep anyways? I only ever see you in the tavern."

"That's where I sleep. Once all the pricks have left I sleep under the bar. There's not enough space anywhere else unless I wanna sleep in Solas' hut." Her nose wrinkled as she spoke, her distaste for the bald mage evident.

"If it's that big of an issue you could just sleep with me." Herah heard the implication as she spoke, watching Sera go through a couple of phases of thought as she felt her pointed ears warm.

"N-not like that, I-I mean unless you want to-Maker just end me already." Herah buried her face in her hands as Sera began to giggle.

"At least buy me dinner first." All she got in return was a groan.

"Well after that colossal fuck up there's only one thing to do. Go back and submit my life for Josephine's judgement. It was nice knowing you Sera, throw a jar of bees into the next war room meeting for me." Her large form looked ridiculous, marching like a poor imitation of one of Cullen's soldiers as her arms swung widely. She barely made it two steps before she brought her heel down on a sheet of ice under the snow, her back slamming into the ground quicker than she could blink, sending up a flurry of snow. Sera clapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to burst out laughing, but when a large payload of snow from the boughs of the trees above her descended like an avalanche, burying her in fluffy white cold like the world's worst blanket she couldn't help but let out a loud cackle. Herah groaned from under the snow, making absolutely no move to get up. The archer knelt beside her, clearing the snow away from her face so she could see her before digging through the snow for her hand.

"C'mon you great tit, if Josie's waitin' at your house I'm not gonna let you face your death alone." She said through some lingering chuckles, helping Herah to her feet.

"I don't know I might die of embarrassment on the way there."

"Maker's breath Josephine would definitely kill me then." Herah snorted at her joke, a smile bowing her lips again.

"If we don't want to risk life and limb, Taigen's cabin is empty and we could sleep there tonight if we wanted to, though it's not as safe since it's outside the limits of Haven and nobody ever comes by on patrols really."

"Hm. Maybe another time, it's cold as balls out and your house has a fire already going."

"Touché."

 

As they made their way back to town, quietly creeping through the gates they kept a careful eye out for any hint of the ambassador before running to her house, shutting and locking the door behind them. Sera sat at the table, watching as Herah closed the shutters and stoked the fire, trying to regain the warmth that had been lost in their absence. As she watched, she noticed that Herah's clothes were damp from the snow, jewels of water dripping from her now slicked back hair down the shaved bits of her head and into her shirt collar. She could see goosebumps prick at her skin, her neck and shoulders tightening as she suppressed a shiver. She didn't get dry clothes out though, she didn't so much as glance at the two drawer glorified nightstand that Sera assumed held her clothes. She just, kicked off her boots by the fire and sat down across from Sera, resuming drinking her beer where she'd left off before Josephine came hurtling into the house. Sera's brow knit slightly, her lips bowing in a frown as she watched her over her mug. "You ok?"

"Yeah, a little cold but I'll dry out soon enough." She said with a shrug, taking a sip from her beer.

"Why are you like this?"

"Excuse me? Like what? Damp? I seem to recall you laughing your ass off at me when I fell in the snow so..." Sera let out a frustrated grunt. 

"No, like this." She gestured at her vaguely, causing Herah's brow to crinkle further. "You don't take care of yourself. You're hurt and now your bandages are wet and you'd let yourself get sick when you could choose to strip down an' get warm in your bed or something." 

"It's kind of a two person job to change my bandages and apply the poultice the healers gave me, and if I get into bed with wet bandages I'll just get the bed wet and be cold all night anyways. Besides it's not like I have another set of clean and dry clothes lying around, I only keep two sets and the other set is still wet from being under my armor in the pouring rain in the Hinterlands on our way back here."

"If you're that worried about it I'll help you with your bandages. You could get an infection or something if you leave them like this. Did you even change them when we got back earlier today?" Sera said, setting her tankard down and standing. Herah mirrored her, backing up towards the fire.

"Or I could sit by the fire till I dry out if you're that worried." She said, avoiding the question and sitting down on the wood floor by the flames. The elf watched her for a moment, the light of the fire behind her illuminating her skin and making it seem warmer than usual. She watched carefully for a moment, noting the tensing of Herah's shoulders as she suppressed another shiver, goosebumps pricking her skin even though she was right by the fire. She raised an eyebrow and walked over, standing over her with her hands on her hips.

"You're still shivering. Lose the shirt."

"W-what?" Herah's ears and cheeks darkened. She felt ridiculous, she knew Sera didn't mean it that way but she wasn't used to be ordered to take her clothes off.

"Get off, I'm not hittin' on you. I mean... Maybe later but if I'm going to screw you I'd rather screw you somewhere with better sound insulation and y'know, when you're not going to freeze to death. Lose the shirt. I'll get the poultice and the extra bandages." Sera turned her back, going to Herah's nightstand and looking around for the poultice and bandages. She took her time, listening carefully. She didn't pull out the items she'd been after until she heard the slap of wet fabric hitting the ground. As she turned around she saw Herah gathering the wet shirt self consciously to her chest and her heart sunk a little. "Do you want me to bring you the blanket from your bed? That way you could sort of wrap up in that too. You also might want to take off your pants, I know you have some scratches on your legs."

"That would be nice. I mean at least the blanket is dry." She said with a chuckle, waiting till Sera had turned her back and was gathering the woolen blanket off the bed to stand up and take her pants off. She walked over to stand behind Sera, and the elf quietly handed it to her without turning to look. She wasn't comfortable, and Sera wanted to respect that. "Thanks. Do you wanna do this by the fire or back at the table?"

"Fire's got the best light, also it's warmer."

"Good point." The Herald moved away, settling with her back to the flames and the blanket tucked around her legs and held to her chest. Once Sera heard her settle she turned around, slowly walking over and kneeling next to her.

"Is it ok if I touch you to help you out of these bandages?"

"Yeah." Herah said quietly, moving her hands under the blanket to pull the tails of wet cotton from their hiding places. Sera grabbed onto the bits of fabric as they loosened, carefully pulling them free and letting Herah take over again to unwrap the parts on the front of her body. They continued like this until all the soggy cotton was piled on the floor next to Sera. She sucked in a breath at the sight of her burns. They'd healed a bit since the last time she'd seen them, but it was clear that the going was slow. The skin hadn't begun to heal really, it was still just muscles knitting back together. The healers had assured her at the time that she wouldn't need a skin graft and that it would grow back on its own as long as she kept it clean but Maker's breath this had to hurt. She opened the pot of poultice, taking some out and very gently spreading it across the red and angry muscles. 

"I'm sorry if what I said earlier made you uncomfortable. I just... Thought you were into girls-" She said after a time, worried that that was the reason for Herah's discomfort.

"N-No! I- I am I just... Girls usually aren't uh, into me. It's not every day one asks me to take my shirt off." Herah said shyly, turning to look at her, cheeks and ears dusted a dark slate color. Sera blinked.

"What? But- Andraste's tits you're well fit! How have you never encountered a girl who likes muffins?"

"I... No I've met other girls who like girls but... Y'know. Horns. Big scary qunari. An ox woman." She said with a defeated sigh, turning away again. Sera finished her work, gently laying a layer of cotton over the poultice to keep it in place before redoing the wraps and coming to sit in front of her.

"And what about it? I'd go for a roll with you in a heartbeat." She said, encouraging her to bring her leg out from under the blanket so she could look at her hip and the scratches on her thigh. The elf felt herself blush a bit as she pulled the bandages off the scratches. They were healing well but she couldn't help but notice how well toned her hip and thigh were, and as she treated the scratches on them she noticed that goosebumps would raise on silver skin wherever her fingers touched. She told herself for now that it was just because her fingers were cold.

"Th-thanks that's uh, sweet of you, in a way." Herah said. It was true, she typically wasn't this close to women. Nudity wasn't a huge deal for her, she was a mercenary, she'd had her clothes burnt and cut to scraps before and eventually you just got used to occasionally ending up half naked in front of all your friends. Sera was different though. It wasn't just that Sera was a woman. Sera was a beautiful woman, and Herah was a mess. The elf finished with her bandages and sat back on her heels.

"There. Clean and dry, not gonna get sick or worse."

"Thank you. It's a pain in the ass changing them myself."

"Anytime. Well I suppose I should get going-" Sera started to say as she got up, looking towards the shuttered window and stopping as she realized there was absolutely no light coming in through the cracks, and that she couldn't hear any hooting or hollering from the tavern like usual. "...or maybe not. I think Flissa's closed up for the night."

"Stay here with me then. You can take the bed if you like."

"Nah, couldn't do that. I'll just go sleep in that creepy cabin."

"Alone? When there might be demons or thugs from a certain pissed off bastard lord wandering around." Herah said with a raised eyebrow.

"... Fair enough. Still I'm not gonna kick you out of your own bed."

"I mean I'm a bit bigger than you but I think we can both fit if you're that worried about it." She said, standing up. She really did tower over Sera. The top of her head barely came up to her collar bones and frankly Sera was not upset about it.

"What about your burns? Don't you have to sleep on your stomach?"

"Pff, no, my horns aren't so big I can't sleep on my side. I just need a pillow under them so I don't break my nose on the bed in the night."

"I guess. I don't have a change of clothes though, and I don't want to get your sheets dirty." 

"It's ok, if you're that worried about it you can just take them off but it makes no difference to me. I'll get into bed and fix the blanket then face the wall so you don't have to worry about me ogling you if you decide to take them off though." Herah said, making her way to the bed. She climbed onto it, carefully arranging the blanket to cover the bed with plenty of room for Sera and then turned on her side to face the wall as promised.

"Pfff how chivalrous Lady Herald. I don't really care if you ogle me or not." Sera said somewhat mischievously, pulling off her shirt and breeches, leaving them near the fire in a pile with her boots and socks before sliding into the bed behind Herah. "Andraste's tits it's cold."

"It'll warm up soon, wool blanket and all."

"Ah yes I'm sure a wool blanket will help the wall." Sera said with a snicker. Herah rolled her eyes and smiled, sitting up and rolling over onto her other side to face her.

"Better?"

"Much." Sera's eyes traced her face, inspecting her scars and flicking back to the scar she'd noticed earlier, but now she could see that it ran down her chest, the blanket cutting her view off a bit over her breasts. "Maker's breath where does that scar end?"

"This one?" Herah asks, tapping it with a finger. "It wraps around and ends on the back of my hip. Why?"

"How do you get a scar like that? I've got a couple myself but mostly from arrows."

"I told you about when I used to use a sword and shield right?" Herah said, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Yeah?"

"Remember how I said I stopped when my sword was broken and my shield knocked away? It's from that."

"Oh come on you can't leave it there! What happened?" Sera asked, shuffling closer. Herah laughed.

"It's not a great story, why do you want to hear it so bad?"

"Because you never talk about yourself on the road, it's always 'Watch out!' this and 'Go!' that." She said, trying to mimic the face she made when she gave orders. Herah laughed again and Sera continued to make silly faces till she dissolved into a fit of giggles herself. "C'mon. I know next to nothing about you."

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you. It's a bit long so get comfortable I guess." She said, sitting up. This time she let the blanket fall down to her hips and Sera could see what she meant about it wrapping around to her hip. It disappeared into the bandages around her waist but she could see the tail of it skirting the bandages on her lower back and ending just above her ass. "Taarlok had gotten us a job. It was a simple one, and he didn't think much of it at the time. We were just escorting a caravan to the deep roads entrance near Orzammar. Nothing special, just some surface dwarves and a couple of humans looking to trade. It was going fine until we'd made camp for the night. The wagons were circled up and we were settled down, then out of the blue, we were attacked by a bunch of humans with thick armor that had swords embossed on it. They were templars and the dwarves had lied to us. They weren't transporting food, they were smuggling lyrium and apostates across the border. We tried to tell them we'd been lied to as well but they wouldn't listen. We stayed out of their way as they attacked the members of the caravan, after all our contract had ended the minute we found out they had been lying to us. We were just going to leave but the templars wouldn't let us. We tried again to tell them we had nothing to do with it but they wouldn't listen. They attacked us, again. We circled up and I tried to help Shokrakar, our leader on the mission, against a templar who carried a sword. I did alright until he got an opening and knocked my shield away. I tried to block his next strike with my sword and was only moderately successful. Our swords connected, but he'd swung hard enough to cause my sword to crack. It was a shitty sword so I'm not surprised, but when I broke our lock to attack, it broke on his pauldron. Shokrakar had to protect me from him. I knew I'd just get in the way. Shok couldn't protect me and himself. So I ran towards the caravan to look for a sword, or at least I tried to. The minute I turned my back though, a man with a couple of daggers came at me and did this." She mimicked the path of the blade with her fingers, tracing it up from her lower back, over the bandages, across her chest and up her neck to her chin. "The next thing I knew I was on the ground and he was over me, ready to kill me. So I did the only thing I could think of. I gored him."

"What? But your horns are all curled?"

"They weren't curled like they are now, and for the record I could still gore someone pretty well with them the way they are, this was a number of years ago though. They faced forward, more like a dragon's. My hands were trapped and he was crouched on my chest, it was all I had. I got him in the gut and he was so surprised he missed my neck and got my face, that's how I got this one." She said, tapping the one on her cheekbone. "Anyways I got him off me and well... I killed him. I just pinned his arms with my knees and strangled him to death. When it was done I didn't think I just took his daggers and went back into the fight to help Shokrakar and Katoh and Taarlok and the others. I picked up how to use them quickly, and when the battle was over, Shokrakar and Katoh fussed over me like a couple of grandparents." She said with a wry smile, eyes meeting Sera as the elf frowned.

"You said it was years ago? How old were you? Wait how old are you now?" She asked, pushing herself up onto her elbow with a curious expression.

"I'm 23 now. I was 14 at the time."

"Wha- why were you a mercenary at 14? That's ridiculous."

"My uh, my family... It's a much longer story, one that we don't really have time for tonight." Herah said softly, hoping she would drop it for now. The elf eyed her for a minute.

"That's fair. You've told me a bit tonight. Hey if it helps we're the same age." Herah blinked.

"I could've sworn I'm older than you are."

"Wh- are you saying I'm childish?" Sera asked, jokingly pouting at her.

"Pff, no, you just... You look young, and it's not because you're shorter than me. It's... In your eyes I guess? Sometimes you look at the world and the things you see with so much wonder it just makes you seem young." Sera was quiet for a minute as she pondered what Herah had said.

"I didn't realize you paid so much attention to me." She said quietly, almost thoughtfully. "Is that part of why you saved me from the dragon? You thought I was a kid?"

"No." The Herald said firmly, reflexively resting a hand on Sera's waist. "I saved you because I don't make a habit of just letting people die. Besides, I think you're probably the most interesting person here. You notice things, though you like to make people think you don't. You're smart, and you might communicate differently than some people but that's just part of what makes you you. Besides that your jokes and pranks are hilarious."

Sera felt her ears turn vibrantly pink. She felt like she was burning. Herah's hand was warm on her hip and she was so damned nice, she cleared her throat, fingers fiddling with each other under the blanket. "Careful, go around saying stuff like that to girls and you'll break the heart of every woman in the Inquisition."

"Pff as if." Herah said with a small laugh, withdrawing her hand to run it through her hair and come her bangs back. "Imagine the fit Josephine would throw, and besides, I think I'm a bit too uh... Big and grey for anybody here. Except maybe you. You seem to like that."

"It's not my fault my type is apparently tall and strong. Maker's breath you could probably throw me from here back to Val Royeaux with those arms." She matched Herah's teasing tone as she spoke.

"Sure and you could still shoot me from there with how good your aim is. Honestly if we weren't on the same side I'd be going everywhere in full plate, though you could probably still get me if you really wanted to."

"Maybe, but I can't see a world in which you'd draw my attention like that. You're too nice."

"You're pretty nice yourself you know." Herah said with a yawn. "Come on, we should get some sleep. We have to prepare to assault Redcliffe in two days time, we should enjoy what rest we can get."

"Ok, good night Herah."

"Good night Sera." Herah closed her eyes, it was clear she was fairly tired, but Sera couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned for a bit before Herah cracked an eye and yawned.

"Can't sleep?"

"No, I'm uh, I'm a bit cold still."

"May I?" Herah asked, hand hovering over her waist.

"Um, sure." Sera said, curious to see what she would do. She reached over, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. The archer blushed as she felt Herah's breath on her neck and her covered breasts against her shoulders. She took a moment to marvel at the size difference between the two of them and how Herah's arms could almost wrap around her twice.

"Is this ok? I just... I don't really have more blankets other than an emergency one that's pretty thin and this is the best thing I could think of." She asked sleepily. Sera nodded, resting an arm over Herah's.

"Yeah, it's uh, it's much warmer like this." She said quietly, tangling their legs together.

"Good. Good night Sera."

"Good night."

 

"Shit shit shit!" Sera swore, eyes darting to Alexius as Dorian and Herah disappeared, nothing but a black mark left on the ground. She drew her bow, nocking an arrow and taking aim as Alexius regained his footing.

"No! Father stop this!" Felix cried, stepping between her bow and the magister. He threw off his son's hand, casting a spell on him to immobilize him.

"I have to do this Felix. I've already gotten rid of the Herald, all I have to do is get rid of these people and then you'll be safe." Leliana's people rushed him, and though they were expert fighters, not a one among them was a mage. They were sent flying back with a flick of his staff, and only a few tried to rise again. She loosed her arrow, watching as it pinged off of a magical shield he'd erected for himself. Boots began thundering down the halls as reinforcements heard the commotion and she turned her bow to the side entrances of the main hall, shooting arrow after arrow at faceless men in masks as they poured out of the narrow doorways. She found herself being forced back, bumping into Iron Bull as more and more soldiers poured from the doorways. Most carried swords, but some carried crossbows and Sera found herself wishing that Cassandra or Herah was there. Herah. Her eyes pricked with tears at the thought of her now dead friend, and she missed her mark, her arrow thudding into the shoulder of a crossbowman next to the man she'd meant to shoot and sending his bolt wide, spearing through her shoulder.

"Sera! Don't give up! The rest of Leliana's people could be here any minute!" The hulking Charger at her back yelled, practically cleaving a guard in half. She took a deep breath and straightened, nocking another arrow, sending it straight threw the crossbowman's eye. The archer shot as fast as she could, and soon she heard the sound of fighting approaching the hall, but it was distant. Too distant. She missed again. This time it was an arrow, it went straight through her calf.

"Enough!" Alexius yelled, slamming his staff into the ground, fire bursting out from it, knocking both his warriors and them over, sending the two of them tumbling across the stone. Sera let out a yell of pain as she landed on her leg wrong, a sickening crack sounding from her knee. "Your Herald is dead! Surrender now or die painfully!"

"Fuck off!" The elf yelled, Bull unconscious and bleeding heavily at her side. She brought her bow up, reaching for an arrow, only to find that she had none left.

"Pathetic." Alexius sneered, beginning to twirl his staff one last time when there was a sound like a roaring hurricane and the rift opened in the middle of the room again. The elf watched in relief and wonder as Dorian and Herah stepped out. Herah's armor was scorched and rent in a couple of places and her posture rigid, it didn't look like they'd just been sent somewhere outside or something, something was wrong. Alexius' eyes widened as he saw them, and he was so shocked he couldn't defend himself as Herah tore his staff from his grip, the wood cracking in her grasp, the magic in it dissipating and freeing Felix as she flung it away. He fell to his knees, eyes downcast as she towered over him.

"You'll have to do better than that I'm afraid." Dorian said, his tone nonchalant, but the slight tremor in his hand betrayed him as being anything but.

"It didn't work. Fine, you win. Stand down." The magister called to his soldiers, but only a few listened, kneeling and laying down their arms as the rest began to charge. Dorian quickly cast a binding spell over the magister as Herah sprung into action. Sera watched as she cut through the ranks of soldiers swarming the hall, rapidly making a path to her and Iron Bull, Dorian following close behind. As she reached them, the rest of Leliana's forces forced the remaining soldiers from the side halls into the main hall and now they were trapped between the Herald and several squads of highly trained soldiers. Most decided to take their chances with Leliana's people rather than approach Herah. Sera couldn't see her face, but there was an eerie poise and calm to the way she held herself, and her attacks were unusually vicious. She was reckless, much more so than usual. Her swings were wider, leaving her more open to attack, and by the time the fighting was done and the royal army came marching in with the king, she was covered in splatters of blood and her armor looked like she'd been through a meat grinder. The elf could see her talking to the king and queen, as well as the grand enchanter who'd been stuck in the corner unable to do anything to help because of some stupid magical contract that Felix released her from as soon as he could, but she couldn't hear a word they were saying. The pain from her leg and the arrows sticking out of her body had sunk in, she couldn't even hear Dorian asking her questions, trying to help. Her ears were ringing, and everything hurt. Herah had been right about that armor. She saw the king and queen leave, and as Herah turned to face them she saw her face for the first time since she'd stepped out of the rift. Her eyes were haunted, her face carefully neutral. Sera didn't like it. Herah smiles, Herah is nice. Herah doesn't look at her like she's been hurt. She tries to shuffle back as she approaches, letting out a scream of pain as she tried to move her leg. Concern flashed in Herah's eyes and she knelt in front of her, reaching out towards her, stopping herself when she realized Sera was afraid of her.

"H-how do I know you aren't demons?" Sera said, eyes flicking between Herah and Dorian, curling in on herself a little. She saw Herah's lips twitch, her eyes brimming with tears before she buried her face in her hands, letting out a loud, sobbing laugh.

"Y-you said that there too. Is it the horns?" She said, a painful smile on her face.

"Wha-no you stepped out of a- said it where?" She asked in confusion.

"That... Is a story for another day. We need to get out of here, you three need a healer." Dorian chimed in, giving the Herald a strange look.

"I'm not going anywhere with a bunch of sodding demons." Sera said quickly, dragging herself closer to Iron Bull's still unconscious form, biting her lip as her arms shook with the pain of moving her leg. She watched nervously as Herah began to take her gloves off, showing her her hands. They looked normal, a little beat up, but normal enough, the mark hadn't changed at least. "What's this about?"

"Demons are cold when they're trying to fake being alive, not even rage demons feel warm, it's not just an old wive's tale. You aren't gonna trust anything I say, but maybe you could trust what you feel." Herah said, offering her right hand for Sera to touch. The archer eyed her suspiciously before reaching out and gently touching the tips of her fingers to her palm. She was right, her palm was pleasantly warm, exactly how it had been before. Sera felt tears brim in her eyes, a hiccup rising in her chest as her fingers curled tightly around her hand.

"Y-You died. We saw you die." She said quietly.

"Sera..." Herah moved closer, gently wrapping an arm around her waist below the arrow protruding from her shoulder as Dorian went to her other side to take care of Iron Bull. "We didn't die. He just... sent us somewhere."

"W-where?"

"I... I'll tell you about it later, for now, let's get you to a healer." She said, letting go of Sera's hand and gently looping her arm under her thighs, carefully picking her up. She looked down as she felt her shake in her arms, sucking in a painful breath. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I should've been here." She said as Dorian helped a now conscious Iron Bull to his feet.

"S'okay. You came back." Sera mumbled her head falling gently against her chest, she felt so tired. It'd been a long day, she was in a lot of pain, and frankly she felt like she deserved some rest. Herah didn't say anything in response, but before she fell asleep she was conscious of her walking, carrying her out of the castle.

 

When Sera came to she found herself back in Haven, specifically in the Herald's cabin. Herah herself was sitting in a chair by the fire reading a book while Sera was laying down in bed. She looked towards the foot of the bed and saw her leg propped up on a pillow with a couple of sticks on either side of it keeping it straight as what she assumed was a regeneration potion healed it, if the intense itchiness and deep ache was anything to go by. She noticed that she'd been changed out of her clothes, covered by a suspiciously large sleeveless tunic instead. She propped herself up on her elbows, looking over to Herah again.

"How'd we get back here? Also is this your shirt?" The Herald looked up at her question, setting aside her book and walking over to her. She wasn't quite limping, but she was favoring a leg, which was odd considering her gait had been smooth as they left the castle.

"Ah, um, yeah. You needed something to wear when the healers were through, so I just put you in that and brought you back here. The healer in Redcliffe didn't have what she needed to set your leg, all she could do was topically apply some regenerative potions to your arrow wounds and give you an elfroot tincture for the pain so I had to bring you back to Haven to get treated. Next time I see Dennet I'll have to thank him for the horse he gave me, she's fast, got us here in half the time. How are you feeling?"

"Could be better. What happened to your leg?"

"I- ugh, I fell on the ice outside about twenty minutes ago, felt like a total idiot. I was bringing in wood from the side of the house for the fire and the logs went everywhere." Herah said as she sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh. "In other news, Adan said your leg should be healed in a few days if you take a few potions each day."

"That fast?" Sera said as she reached for the potion on the nightstand, sitting herself up to drink it.

"Yeah. He said that wounds where the tissue is ripped or cut are always faster to heal, and you didn't tear any ligaments particularly badly, the break is a bit above your knee so it's mostly surrounded by muscles which heal faster and help keep the bone in place while the potions work. That being said I'm not supposed to let you out of bed until tomorrow really so let me know if you need anything."

"Ugh I'm going to get so bored."

"Ouch, I didn't realize my company was so awful. Is there anything I can get you to occupy yourself with then?" The Herald said with a playful smile.

"Pff, I didn't mean it like that. You're grand you are, but I wouldn't mind it if you could get my journal and something to write with."

"Sure." Herah got up from the bed, walking over to where she'd set Sera's bag in one of the chairs at the table. She opened the top, grabbing the journal from its special pocket then getting a pen from her desk, bringing both to Sera. The elf thanked her and she went back to reading her book at her desk as Sera started to write.

_Been a rough couple of days._

_Pranked a git in the tavern, got Herah in on it, it was grand. Ended up sleeping in her bed, just sleeping, made me wonder though..._

_(Below is a sketch of Herah spooning Sera with her arms wrapped around her and her lips brushing the back of her neck.)_

_Went to the mage place. Everything went tits up quick. The Tevinter magister tit poofed Dorian and Herah._

_Soldiers came in, them and the magister almost had us, but then they were back._

_(Below is a sketch of Herah and Dorian stepping out of the rift, Alexius's staff breaking in the Herald's grasp.)_

_Thought she was a demon at first but she just knelt in front of me and told me that demons don't have warm skin. She took her glove off right there and I touched it and she was warm like usual._

_(Another sketch, this time of Herah's hand, all the calluses mapped out and Sera's fingers brushing her palm, the mark stark against her grey skin.)_

_That makes twice she's saved me. I don't want to get attached, don't know these people well enough but... She's nice. She cares loads. I dunno, maybe we could be friends or some shit._

_I... I cried at one point in the fighting, thought I'd never see her again and cried about it. Got shot twice for it, broke my leg too. She brought me back to Haven. She took me to her house after the healers fixed me._

_(A final sketch of Herah sitting at her desk by the fire, reading her book. Particular attention is paid to her shoulders and where bandages press against her shirt or peak out from beneath it.)_

_She's been getting hurt a lot, she's favoring a leg now. She's the one with the glowy thing on her hand, shouldn't she have body guards or something? what'll we do if something does happen to her? It's not like she can have a break though, not till the breach is sealed._

Sera put the pen aside, glancing up at Herah. "Oi, with the mages all joined up, can you close that big pucker in the sky?"

"We can close it tomorrow once everyone else gets back and the lyrium shipment comes in." Herah set down her book as she spoke, getting up and going to the windows to shutter them.

"That soon? Serious? Wow, figured this'd go on for ages. What're you gonna do after?"

"First, deal with this Elder One and the Venatori. After that, I don't know, maybe I'll go back to my mercenary company or I'll carve out a little plot of land for myself and farm like my dad did, there's not much else for Tal Vashoth to do in Thedas."

"Tal Va- what?"

"It's... It means 'true grey one'. It's the qunlat word for those born outside the Qun. My parents left before I was born but the Ben Hassrath have branded me Tal Vashoth instead of Vashoth like they normally might for a different reason. It's not important, just means I don't belong anywhere." She slowly leaned down and started unlacing her boots as she spoke, her motions careful so as not to agitate her sore muscles and wounds.

"That sounds stupid. You're grand, why wouldn't they want you?"

"It's sweet of you to say that, but it's not important. What about you, are you going to go back to Val Royeaux?" Herah pulled off her boots, setting them to the side and standing, making her way over to pull an extra blanket and small cushion from the chest at the foot of the bed before moving to sit on the floor by the bed.

"Maybe. Might bum around here for a bit, heard the bald asshole that owns this place tried to kick out the Inquisition when we're jus' tryin' to help everyone. Might look into him a bit, see if he needs an egg in his knickers or bees in his bedroom." Herah chuckled at the idea of her sticking an egg down the back of his pants, Josephine would have a cow.

"Sounds like fun."

"We'll see. Why are you down there?"

"I don't think it's safe for me to sleep up there tonight, I don't want to risk messing up your leg or hurting you in my sleep. I'll sleep down here so you have all the space you need."

"Don't be stupid. Get up here."

"Sera you need the space-"

"And you need to not have a crick in your back that gets you killed if any cultist bastards show up to stop you tomorrow. Get up here."

Herah stood, then moved around to the foot of the bed, storing the blanket and cushion again and climbing up from the foot board, careful not to disturb Sera's leg. She laid down on her stomach next to her, arms curled under a pillow. "Better?"

"Yeah but you're gonna freeze to death. Get under here." Sera said, flapping the blanket between them a little. Herah laughed, making her way under the covers.

"Okay Sera, do you have enough room?"

"I've got loads of room."

"Pff, alright. There's jerky in the bag on the nightstand in case you're hungry. I'm going to get some rest, I'll buy you a pint when I get back tomorrow to celebrate closing the Breach."

"I'll hold you to that Lady Herald." The elf said teasingly. Herah smiled at her, then laid down on her stomach, holding her pillow in her arms under her head. Sera watched her for a moment, then continued writing in her journal.

It was about an hour later and she'd finally gotten all the thoughts from the past couple of days out of her head along with a lot of drawings of castles and bees and pricks getting stuck with arrows and a few of Herah's smile and Herah in battle. She smiled to herself, reaching for a stick of jerky as she remembered some details about the noble they pranked, intending to start a sketch of his face as Herah had insulted him when she heard the Herald roll over onto her back next to her, pushing the blanket away with a thunderous expression, brows creased tight and mouth bowed into a deep frown. Her hand clenched over her stomach, bunching her shirt in her fist, mark glowing brightly against the ashen tone of her skin. Sera watched as her sleep grew increasingly unsettled, her hope that this would fade ebbing and her curiosity as to what could be bothering her in her dreams this much growing with every twitch of her muscles and every shift of her body. Eventually though, her hand tightened too far in her shirt, ripping the fabric loudly as a noise between a choked sob and a growl tore from her throat, tears welling from her eyes and her teeth bared, and Sera couldn't sit still any longer, reaching over and gently shaking her.

"Hey." She ignored her, her breath picking up, chest heaving with short and fast breaths.

"Herah." No response again, her hand released the torn fabric of her shirt, grabbing onto the bandages under it harshly, red blooming across the bandages as her grip tightened.

"Andraste's tits! Herah!" She yelled, grabbing her hand and fighting to pull it away. The Herald bolts upright with a loud gasp, Sera finally succeeding in safely pulling her hand away while she takes several deep, shaky breaths. She doesn't pull her hand from Sera's grasp, she just curls her legs to her chest, wrapping her free arm around them and resting her forehead against her knees.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Herah's voice is soft and gravelly as she speaks, and Sera repressed a shiver at the sound of it, squeezing her hand gently.

"No. You hurt yourself though. What's got you growling?"

"I- It's... It's just a dream. This was a mistake, if I have another nightmare I might gore you with my horns or worse." As she spoke she pulled her hand from Sera's, pushing herself down to the end of the bed and getting off, grabbing the blanket an cushion again.

"A dream that had you trying to tear your own guts out. If you're down there how do I know you won't go right back to it?" Herah looked down at her words, seeming to register the red stain slowly seeping through her bandages.

"Ah, fuck."

"Fuck's right, Maker's ass Herah you could've killed yourself."

"It's not that deep to begin with, I probably just tore the scab." She rummaged around in her road bag, pulling out a potion and downing it quickly.

"Ugh you are so difficult." Sera groaned, watching her sit down on the floor, pulling the blanket over herself, not saying anything in response. She closed her eyes, and it seemed she intended to go back to sleep. Sera let out a frustrated huff, picking up the pen and her journal again and scribbling in it furiously.

_Herald had a nightmare. Tossing and turning and tearing up, tried to rip out her own guts. Now she's acting like it didn't happen and her face is all drawn and she's sleeping on the floor._

_I get we aren't best buds or whatever but she won't tell me what's wrong the big stupid-_

She stops, an inkblot falling onto the page as a frown bowed her features. The pen nib shakes a little with the force she uses to scratch out what she'd just written until it was an unintelligible black streak on the page. Sighing, she looks down at Herah on the floor. Her face was tense again, her hands and fingers twitching, every movement seeming amplified by the light of the fire spilling across her.

_She has a lot riding on her. Just because she doesn't want to tell me something doesn't mean she doesn't like me as a person or just interacts with me when it's convenient for her. I'm worried but that doesn't mean I get to be upset with her and act like a tit about it._

_She's got sharp teeth, she kept baring them in her sleep, like she was trying to fight something._

_(Below is a sketch of Herah's mouth, teeth bared and canines sharp.)_

_She growled too. All deep in her throat. Is it weird that I thought it was hot? ___

____

____

Sera paused again, shivering at the memory of the sound. She shook her head, striking that thought through with a line.

_Why was she crying? She never cries but she cried at the castle with the mage shits and then again in her sleep._

_Maybe she's just tense about closing the Breach tomorrow. I'll ask her about it again when we get a pint after._

Sera set aside her journal for the last time, laying back to go to sleep. Herah was fidgeting again and she watched her for a moment, watched her hands twitch, nails scratching against the wooden floor as she became increasingly unsettled again. The elf huffed, dropping one of her hands down the side of the bed and picking hers up gently.

"Stop that you." She said softly and to her surprise, the Herald settled down, her fingers curling around Sera's palm softly, rolling onto her side and pulling their hands to her chest as her face smoothed and her breathing leveled out again. Sera blinked in surprise for a moment, then suppressed a smile. "Maker's breath you're really a sweet one aren't you?"

Herah didn't respond, she just curled her body a little more, holding their hands close enough to her chest that Sera could feel every breath she took against the back of her hand. She blushed a little, this moment felt more emotionally intimate than anything she'd had in a very long time. Part of her wanted to run, pull her hand back and hobble out of the cabin and go anywhere else, but a bigger part of her told her not to, to just lay here with her where she felt safe. Safe. When had she started to feel safe here? She didn't have time to think too much more about it, she found herself drifting off to sleep before she could so much as form another thought on it.

 

Herah woke up early, blinking sleepily. She'd slept better than she thought she would and was glad for it, she could hear the lyrium shipment coming in outside, soon it would be time to seal the Breach. As she sat up she became aware that she was holding Sera's hand and had been curled around it as she'd slept. Her cheeks started to burn and part of her hoped that Sera hadn't been awake when it happened. Still though, it was nice. Her hand was warm and her skin was softer than she'd expected where she didn't have calluses. The Herald stared at their hands for a moment, then squeezed her eyes shut tight, letting her hand go and setting her hands in her lap. This was stupid. She felt silly getting attached to her. She let out a huff as she pulled herself to her feet, roughly but quietly pulling on her pants and starting the process of getting dressed. Her mind was sent back to when she was young and kids threw rocks and sticks at her, calling her an ox girl and driving her away and then later when Shokrakar had noticed she had a crush on one of the girls in a village they were stationed in for a contract, he'd pulled her aside and told her that there was nothing wrong with loving a person, but because she was Tal Vashoth, because she was a qunari, she had to be cautious about it because she could very well run to her brothers to get her hunted out of the village. It wasn't because she was a girl, though Fereldans had always been weird about that, it was because they viewed her as a monster. Sera, for all her mischievous nature and cute smile was at best a friend, and trying to get closer to her would just yield heartbreak, as usual. Herah looked over her shoulder at the elf sleeping in her bed as she finished dressing, eyes softening as she looked over her. She hadn't shifted much in the night, only her arms had moved really, one over the edge of the bed and the other under her head. She was snoring slightly, and it struck the Herald as adorable.

Herah moved the crutch Adan had given her for Sera from where it sat by the door to leaning against the night stand, stopping to scribble a note for her and tying it to the wooden implement before she quietly left, stepping out into the cold mountain air. In front of her the last of the lyrium shipment was being brought through the gate and unloaded, overseen by Josephine and Cullen of course. The sun wasn't quite up, still hiding behind the crown of the mountains, lighting the Breach up from beneath ominously. She came to stand beside Josephine, watching soldiers unloading the lyrium.

"I take it we're almost ready?"

"Yes, the mages only need a few more moments before they will be ready to depart. Are you ready?" Josephine asks, turning to her as the last crate left the wagon.

"As ready as I can be. I mean, there's not much that can be done to prepare for something like this."

"We will be with you every step of the way." Cullen said, resting a hand on her arm.

"Thank you. I just hope this is the end of it, we still don't have any leads on this Elder One, dealing with him and the Breach if this doesn't work will feel impossible." She sighs, running a hand through the shock of white hair that runs down her head, fingers rubbing against the bits of stubble on either side that she needed to clean up.

"I'm sure you will succeed. Most every mage in Thedas has come to help, and with their combined powers and your mark, we can do this." Cassandra said, walking through the gates and coming to stand with the group. "It's time."

Herah nods, turning to Cullen and Josephine. "It's been an honor, and if we fail and I don't come back from this, thank you for all you've done, tell the same to Leliana if you see her, though I get the feeling she's around nearby."

They nodded, then she turned and walked with Cassandra to where the mages had gathered, moving out with them as the sun deigned to grace the sky with its presence, peaking over the mountain tops to light their path as they left Haven on the road to the temple.


End file.
